It’s a false choice to say a nation like ours can’t have both Social Security and expanded opportunities for young people: Opposing view

Expanding and enhancing Social Security isn’t just about helping out seniors, it’s about providing economic security for all generations. From security in your golden years, to disability protection, to an economic lifeline for a spouse or child who has lost a loved one, Social Security is there for you.

Improving Social Security doesn’t mean we can’t expand job training or preschool education. We can still invest in those programs as well, and we should. It’s a false choice to say that a nation like ours can’t have both Social Security and expanded opportunities for young people.

In fact, my bill to strengthen and improve Social Security means that today’s 20-year-olds will be able to rely on Social Security when the time comes for them to receive the benefits they have earned — just as the generations before them have.

Social Security isn’t an entitlement; it is the insurance that each worker pays for with every paycheck. For almost two-thirds of beneficiaries, Social Security makes up the majority of their income. For almost one-third, Social Security provides nearly all of their income. No one gets rich off of Social Security, but it does help keep millions out of poverty.

The Social Security 2100 Act shows that Social Security is affordable. It increases benefits and strengthens the Trust Fund, and it is fully paid for. It has more than 200 co-sponsors because Americans value Social Security and want it to keep it strong.

Social Security is more than a pension for old age and poverty; it also provides critical coverage for people with disabilities, spouses and dependents.

The either/or approach isn’t what we need. We need to be looking at improving the lives of Americans across the board because, as President John F. Kennedy said, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., chairs the House Ways and Means Committee’s Social Security subcommittee.